UN urges immediate release of Adilur
Law enforcers take out Adilur Rahman Khan, secretary of rights body Odhikar, from a court in the capital on Tuesday when he was sent to jail. Photo: Focus Bangla
The United Nations has expressed concern about the arrest of Adilur Rahman Khan, secretary of rights body Odhikar and urged the government to release him immediately.
“We are calling on the government of Bangladesh to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Khan, whose arrest might be linked to his work as human rights defender,” Liz Throssell, spokesperson of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters in Geneva Tuesday.
She said Khan is reported to have been arrested under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology Act, accused of publishing false information about violence by government forces during demonstrations in May by Hefajat-e Islam.
Odhikar reported that 61 people had died during these protests, challenging the government’s version of events, noted Throssell.
She said that the day after his arrest, Khan was denied bail and ordered to be held on remand for five days.
“He was allegedly denied access to a lawyer before his court hearing,” she added.
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